when in doubt ~ Dan Cleveland

Although financially we have been prospering spiritually, many of us have suffered severe poverty of the soul and because of it in the pursuit of material happiness played a great part in the destruction of our planet. This may be the re-boot that we have needed to show each other acts of kindness. ~ Ron

Silver Lining by JRG

Spring of COVID-19

I hunker down

ease into new way of living

begin to see a silver lining

in all the inconvenience

anxiety, fear

people are kinder

offer assistance

family calls, checks in

more frequently

friends email

cheer me up

with jokes, funny stories

air is cleaner outside

with less traffic on my road

less toxic fumes circulate

it is quieter

I can hear small birds

trilling in trees

hear bees buzz

about the crocuses

in full bloom

I look up at the sky

not a single contrail

mars the azure blue

at night, no jet’s red lights

outshine the stars

it’s as I remember it

as a child- a magical blanket

of twinkling tapers

life is lived at a gentler

sensible tempo

no rushing here or there

with nowhere to go

no people to see

no scheduled events

or appointments to keep

there’s more time

to cook, clean, bake

organize, box things up

I no longer need or want

there’s more time now

to read, write

go for long walks in nature

meditate and pray

with pace more leisurely

my life is more sane

this is the silver lining

in COVID-19

Is there a lesson to be learned

in all of this?

I have often heard the phrase, ‘this too shall pass.’ And it shall. The only thing is for sure is that we will all be changed when it is. How we are changed, that is up to us. In fact it is the only thing we have any control over.

There is a webinar if anyone is interested.

“Misfortunes do not flourish particularly in our path. They grow everywhere.” ~ Black Elk

Chapter two
Learning, Growing and Healing
Most mammalian species are born with only two things to be concerned. They both deal with survival. The first is their personal survival, staying warm enough, and ingesting the required amount of nutrients to stay alive. The second is procreation, to ensure the survival of the species. Once upon a time that is what occupied our days also. Somewhere along the line something changed for us. We became supposedly smarter. I’m sure for some, there is a longing for that simpler existence, but it definitely was a harder time.
There are many stories and myths that explain what happened. It is said that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and for doing so, were expelled from the garden. My only question is where did they go? There were no cities. In fact, back then I believe it was pretty much all garden. I’m sure not the modern concept of nicely tilled rows of vegetables and symmetric orchards was true, but I’m pretty positive it was mostly water or green space.
There is a story where the humans ate the ‘love apple,’ which was be forbidden, as it was poisonous and took a psychedelic trip, expanding their consciousness beyond that of the mind of the common ape. Then through this mental breakthrough at some point, they learned through a system of trial an error, how to harness fire, use tools, do things like learning to grow their own food, eventually inventing the wheel. Which lead us to our modern day cornucopia of creations, large and small that make our lives much more complicated then just eating and breeding.
Like all other life forms, it was still necessary to learn what was not instinctual, like eating and walking and coming in out of the rain. Like most animals, our parents taught us what to do. That is until at some period in history, they became too busy to teach their young. At that time, those allowed to ‘learn,’ were shuffled off to schools. Over time this system has grown into institutions for the creation of consumers, (see chapter 1 Things) where students are funneled into slots to fulfill the capitalistic promise. Once enrolled, children are divided into tracks based upon intelligence, aptitude, strength and coordination. During this education, it is determined what would be the placement which best benefited our great society and students are given guidance on how to achieve those goals. Those unwilling or unable to follow the path ascribed to them, due to extenuating circumstances, would be placed in minimum wage jobs, given government assistance if they are unable to perform such work, or remanded to jail if they were totally unwilling to cooperate. This path, if closely examined, sometimes leaves an empty feeling, like in the song when the singer bemoans, “Is that all there is?” The current inadequacy of this system, in many cases, fails to provide a meaningful life, leaving some grasping for a deeper sense of being. When that is not achieved within in the confines of “supposed normal routine,” it leads to substance abuse, depression or other forms of illness.
So under an attempt to live within the confines of ‘Natural Law’ what should we learn? Natural Law instructs us that the achievement of harmony and balance is the only requirement. This regimen is lacking from the curriculum of most of our bastions of education. It most often has to be learned through experience by the principle of cause and effect. Although I’ve been wandering this earth for 69 plus years, I learn every day, how out of sync I often am. And if it is a good day, I discover what it is I’m doing which makes me so and can somewhat correct it. One thing I have learned is that when I am closer to the balance point, when the give and take of the ‘flow’ is harmonious, the more my life seems to be. This is what I believe is meant by ‘Growing.’
TO FLOW IS TO GROW
TO GROW IS TO FLOW

The woodpecker knocks

“Come in,” I jest

“Eventually,” it replies

Bills pile up!

The need to make and spend more, me

I can’t afford not to have fun

We were brought to a land of immeasurable beauty

But chose only to see

The ugliness

A murder of crows arrive

Cawing

Expounding the virtue of ‘natural law’

Looking at the clouds, I cry

“There is no sun!”

Unaware of what lies above

Upon the day bed, I read the ancient, sacred texts to inspire me.

The cat jumps up to join me, as I read about communing with the Angel of Life.

As I stroke his fur, I commune with the only other heartbeat in the room.

For a moment we share this connection, me sharing my love through thought and touch,

The creature through the acceptance of my gift and the returning to me, joy.

Looking out the window, I watch the birds dance in the sky, occasionally touching the earth.

Clouds silently move across the sky.

“Seek not the law in the scriptures,” the book says.

“In everything that Is life is the law written.”

In 1987, we moved to the town of Niles to a small stretch of road which for a time became affectionately known as ‘Carrot Junction.’ It was made up of three houses on Grange Hall Road; our house, the home of the Age family and the Wakely’s, where the Niles Gourmet Bistro is today. It achieved its nickname due to the fact we were all vegetarians and organic farmers. There became a tradition of Saturday night pot luck dinners at the Wakely’s. Both Dale Wakely and Dan Age were ministers at that time, Dale Congregationalist, Dan Baptist. Often there was a diverse group of house guests that included 7^th Day Adventists, TM teachers, psychenauts and NewAge philosophers from Dan’s health food store, the Greene family and us.  After dinner, while the women talked in the kitchen, the conversation among the men usually centered on environmental spirituality.

One afternoon, I was walking with Dan Age, when he was discussing a premise raised at the pot luck. It was in regards to the symbolism of the cross. He pointed out that it was much more than the crucifixion. He believed it went back to the translation of Genesis. It was his belief that man was not put on earth to have dominion over the planet and its resources but to be the stewards. That humankind had been placed as a pole connecting the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother. The Father being in charge of all that is of the spirit and the Mother all things of substance. That we, as the stewards were the arms of the cross, connecting to all the creatures, the plants, the earth and stones, the water and the air. This is why we were put here to teach the natural law, and build the kingdom on earth by taking care of all around us to provide for generations to come. Somewhere this has been lost and is not the role we have taken on.

Unfortunately in this day and age we have separated ourselves from the environment. Chief  Irving Powless Jr. states in his book, “Who Are These People Anyway,” the difference between those that came after and the Indigenous people, is that we have separated ourselves from the environment, whereas the Native American can only think one way and that is they are the environment and act accordingly. Perhaps we need to once more start thinking of ourselves as a part of the whole. Realize the bottom line should not be profit, but health and happiness. It may well be a matter of survival for us as a species.

So let us start here with prayers of gratitude for the water.

THIS SIDE